1. Rafflesia arnoldii : This parasitic plant develops the world's largest bloom that can grow over three feet across. The flower is a fleshy color, with spots that make it look like a teenager's acne-ridden skin. It smells bad and has a hole in the center that holds six or seven quarts of water. The plant has no leaves, stems, or roots.

2. Hydnora africana : an unusual flesh-colored, parasitic flower that attacks the nearby roots of shrubby in arid deserts of South Africa. The putrid-smelling blossom attracts herds of carrion beetles.

3. Dracunculus vulgaris : smells like rotting flesh, and has a burgundy-colored, leaf-like flower that projects a slender, black appendage.

4. Amorphophallus : means, literally, "shapeless penis." The name comes from the shape of the erect brownish spadix.

One day when she and her mother were checking out at the grocery store, Jenny saw a plastic pearl necklace priced at $2.50. How she wanted that necklace and when she asked her mother if she would buy it for her, her mother said, "Well, it is a pretty necklace, but it costs an awful lot of money. I'll tell you what. I'll buy you the necklace, and when we get home we can make up a list of chores that you can do to pay for the necklace. And don't forget that for your birthday Grandma just might give you a whole dollar bill, too. Okay?"

Jenny agreed, and her mother bought the pearl necklace for her. Jenny worked on her chores very hard every day, and sure enough, her Grandma gave her a brand new dollar bill for her birthday. Soon Jenny had paid off the pearls.

How Jenny loved those pearls. She wore them everywhere to kindergarten, bed, and when she went out with her mother to run errands. The only time she didn't wear them was in the shower - her mother had told her that they would turn her neck green.

Now Jenny had a very loving daddy. When Jenny went to bed, he would get up from his favorite chair every night and read Jenny her favorite story. One night when he finished the story, he said, "Jenny, do you love me?"

"Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you," the little girl said.

"Well, then, give me your pearls."

"Oh! Daddy, not my pearls!" Jenny said. "But you can have Rosie, my favorite doll. Remember her? You gave her to me last year for my birthday. And you can have her tea party outfit, too. Okay?"

A week later, her father once again asked Jenny after her story, "Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you."

"Well, then, give me your pearls."

"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls! But you can have Ribbons, my toy horse. Do you remember her? She's my favorite. Her hair is so soft, and you can play with it and braid it and everything. You can have Ribbons if you want her, Daddy," the little girl said to her father.

"No, that's okay," her father said and brushed her cheek again with a kiss. "God bless you, little one. Sweet dreams."

Several days later, when Jenny's father came in to read her a story, Jenny was sitting on her bed and her lip was trembling. "Here, Daddy," she said, and held out her hand. She opened it and her beloved pearl necklace was inside. She let it slip into her father's hand. With one hand her father held the plastic pearls and with the other he pulled out of his pocket a blue velvet box.

Inside of the box were real, genuine, beautiful pearls.

He had them all along. He was waiting for Jenny to give up the cheap stuff so he could give her the real thing. So it is with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasure.

Isn't God good?

Are you holding onto things which God wants you to let go of?Are you holding onto harmful or unnecessary partners, relationships, habits and activities which you have become so attached to that it seems impossible to let go?

Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the other hand but do believe this one thing...

God will never take away something without giving you something better in its place.

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Situated on the banks of the Ganges near holy Rishikesh in the Himalayas, there was once an ashram that had attracted a fair number of seekers due to the holiness of its presiding monk. The guru would take in all seekers who wanted to learn a life of dedication to God; but such was his love that he often did not discriminate who he allowed to stay.

After some time, he noticed that the ashramites were often quarrelling and he could hear rude words that left him pained. `Why are they angry with one another?' the guru asked himself. But he could not bring himself to throw anyone out - such was his compassion. One day he saw two inmates fighting over food in the ashram canteen. The incident left him shocked and he returned to his hut in a despondent mood.

`What can be wrong with them?' he asked himself. He was racked with the problem of remedying the situation and elevating their souls. So, he increased his discourses to them and gave more personal advice on their sadhana. The inmates' reverence for their guru increased, but unfortunately this did not translate in better behaviour towards each other.

The guru, then resolved to practise penance and ask the Lord for divine help before matters could get any worse. So, he shut himself away in his hut for a week, maintained silence and took a reduced diet. After some days of intense prayers and meditation, he was rewarded with a vision of celestial light. The guru was transfixed in bliss as the Lord's nectarine voice came through the light:

"My child, my dear child." The guru could not believe his ears. He was thrilled to hear the sweet voice.

"Is it really you, my Lord?" he asked filled with ecstasy and disbelief.

"Yes, my child," God said lovingly. "Tell me, what can I do for you?"

The Guru prostrated to the Divine voice and said,"Dear Lord, be pleased to come to my ashram."

"What for?" the Voice asked.

"You know everything, Lord," the guru humbly submitted. "Yet, I shall say it. The members of the ashram hate one another; they are jealous of each other. Lord, if you come and stay with us for a week, they will be filled with pure and noble thoughts."

The kind lord replied, "Certainly, I will come, but not for one week, but for ever."

The guru's joy knew no bounds. But the Voice continued, "But only on one condition."

"What is it, my Lord," the guru asked eagerly.

"I will come, but not in this form," the Lord clarified. "I will always be at the ashram in the guise of one of the inmates. I shall always be moving in the hearts of one of them; it could be anyone of them."

With these words, the Light disappeared.

The Guru, after recovering from that ethereal experience, opened the door of his hut and called all the ashramites to assemble. When he informed them of God's wish to abide in their hearts they rejoiced, but they were confused too. "Is this inmate sitting near me God in disguise?" one disciple thought. "Who could be `God in disguise' person?"

Nobody knew and everybody was left guessing and as a result careful too. For, eachone thought, "How can I fight against anyone here? What if he is one in whom God is there now?" And thus, a subtle change slowly came over in each one of them.They began to see God in everyone and took every opportunity to help the other and be kind and courteous. The whole atmosphere in the ashram was now totally transformed – only love and harmony prevailed. The guru was the happiest man now.

The Lord's trick had done wonders.

If we reflect, we can make our family, our society and our earth just like this ashram – full of peace and harmony – if only we believe and practise the feeling that each one is just God in a different form. Our life would become a sweet experience, every moment.